Football legend Pele ‘is moved to palliative care’ in hospital

Brazilian football legend Pele ‘has been moved to palliative care’ in hospital and is ‘no longer responding to chemotherapy’ in his fight against bowel cancer.

Reports in Brazil said the 82-year-old, who went into hospital last week, is receiving measures to relieve pain in an ‘end-of life palliative care’ ward.

He was admitted into the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday suffering from ‘general swelling’ and ‘heart failure’.

An update on Thursday said the three-time World Cup winner was in a ‘stable’ condition in the hospital with his daughter Kely insisting there was ‘no cause for alarm’.

However, a report by Folha de Sao Paulo on Saturday, said Pele isn’t responding any longer to the chemotherapy treatment he has been undergoing since last September to treat his bowel cancer.

They said he is now in palliative care and won’t be subjected to invasive tests or treatment. Palliative care is for patients with potentially life-threatening diseases or conditions and end-of-life care.

Pele – whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento – is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time.

He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and scored 643 goals in 659 official matches for the Brazilian club Santos. He scored 77 times in 92 games for his country’s national team.

Football legend Pele, 82, has reportedly been moved into ‘palliative care’ in hospital

Pele is one of the greatest footballers of all time and won three World Cups with Brazil

Brazilian football legend Pele, 82, was admitted to hospital last Tuesday and reports in Brazil on Saturday said he had been moved to a ‘palliative care’ ward 

Pele’s wife and carer took him to hospital earlier this week amid concern about his health

On Friday, the Albert Einstein Hospital released a statement saying Pele had been diagnosed with a ‘respiratory infection’ that was being treated with antibiotics.

The update said the former player is expected to remain in hospital for continued treatment in the coming days but said his condition was ‘stable’.

In a post on Pele’s Instagram account on Friday, he responded to a ‘Get well soon’ message that was projected onto a building in Qatar, where the World Cup is taking place.

He wrote: ‘Friends, I am at the hospital making my monthly visit. It’s always nice to receive positive messages like this. Thanks to Qatar for this tribute, and to everyone who sends me good vibes.’

More to follow.